The BBC Brit audience has a deep appreciation of British humour and the quirks of our culture. These are intelligent blokes who enjoy having a laugh and we’re looking to meet their desire for entertaining content that is underpinned by substance and feels uniquely British.Julie Swanston, VP Commissioning for BBC Worldwide Channels

Speaking at the Realscreen London conference today Julie Swanston, VP Commissioning for BBC Worldwide Channels set out her commissioning priorities for the new genre brands BBC Earth and BBC Brit.

Across the two brands Swanston is charged with commissioning a minimum of 83 hours of content and is looking to the UK production community for compelling content ideas.

The target for BBC Brit is to commission four original, male-skewing factual entertainment series. BBC Worldwide are seeking fresh interpretations of classic male genres that will appeal to a broad audience. There are four core content filters for BBC Brit content: camaraderie; expertise; wit and jeopardy and the new commissions must have these characteristics at their heart. Talking about the style of content she is in search of Swanston said:

“The BBC Brit audience has a deep appreciation of British humour and the quirks of our culture. These are intelligent blokes who enjoy having a laugh and we’re looking to meet their desire for entertaining content that is underpinned by substance and feels uniquely British.”

The pace does not slow for BBC Earth which will be the home of premium factual content spanning everything from natural history and the human world to outer space and science. For the new channel Swanston is hunting for original content to fill a new Earth Unplugged slot which she described as “natural history with its hair down.” High on the wish list for Earth Unplugged are adrenalin-fuelled, fast paced and visceral adventure series that have British talent at their centre. Outlining the four key editorial filters for BBC Earth content, Swanston commented:

“We are looking for series which have a clear mission and sense of purpose for BBC Earth, the Earth Unplugged slot will be exhilarating, lean forward television. Expertise is critical but it must be matched by entertainment, they are of equal importance in the content we are seeking for BBC Earth.” Describing the new faces for BBC Earth that Swanston is tasked with discovering she said: “We are looking for authentic, real life adventurers who are immersed in the experience, rather than at the end of a long lense.”

In 2015 the BBC Earth and BBC Brit brands will launch as international channels, rolling out globally throughout the year. Swanston is seeking the international rights to new commissions for these channels with the ideal production model being a co-production with a UK or US broadcaster.

About BBC Worldwide. BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm and a wholly owned subsidiary of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Its vision is to build the BBC’s brands, audiences, commercial returns and reputation across the world. This is achieved through investing in, commercialising and showcasing content from the BBC around the world, in a way that is consistent with BBC standards and values. The business also champions British creativity globally.

In 2013/14, BBC Worldwide generated headline profits of £157.4m and headline sales of £1,042.3m and returned £173.8m to the BBC. For more detailed performance information please see our Annual Review website: http://www.bbcworldwide.com/annualreview